This invention relates generally to portable electric space heaters and more particularly to an improved foot structure for supporting the heater body on the floor or another surface.
Small electric space heaters have been used for some time to provide concentrated heating of localized areas such as relatively small rooms. The body or housing of the heater is normally mounted on a pair of spaced apart feet which support it during use on the floor, a table or counter top, or another surface. During manufacture of the heater, the feet are normally attached permanently to the underside of the heater body. As a result, a relatively large shipping container is required since the entire heater with the feet attached must fit within the carton.
If the feet are not attached at the factory, they must be attached by the consumer after purchase. Consequently, the manner of attachment of the feet to the heater body must be relatively simple in order to permit the feet to be installed quickly and easily by members of the general public. If the feet are not attached properly or not attached at all, the risk of fire is increased significantly. Thus, if the unit is shipped without the feet attached, provision should be made for preventing the heater from operating unless the feet are properly installed.
The present invention is directed to an improved foot construction for an electric space heater of this type. It is an object of the invention to provide a heater that is shipped with the feet detached from the heater body in order to minimize the size of the shipping carton. The feet can be simply and conveniently attached to the heater body by the consumer without the need for tools or other equipment. It is another important feature of the invention that the heater cannot be operated unless the feet are properly attached to the heater body.
In accordance with the invention, a pair of mounting plates are attached at the factory to the bottom of the heater body near its opposite ends. Each mounting plate is provided with two opposed sets of flexible fingers having enlarged heads. When each foot is inserted between the two sets of fingers during assembly by the consumer, the heads snap into place in receptacles formed in the opposite sides of the foot. Shoulders formed on the heads of the fingers are engaged against lips formed adjacent the receptacles in a manner preventing the feet from being detached from the heater body. Also projecting from each mounting plate is a rib having a curved lower edge. If an attempt is made to operate the heater without first attaching the feet, the curved ribs cause the heater to tip over and a conventional tilt switch or thermal cut off switch shuts the unit off.